Recipes to Make Homemade Macaroni and Cheese That Tastes Like Heaven

There's nothing more delightful than a bowl of hot homemade macaroni and cheese. Let's take a look at how we can prepare this lovely comfort food, within the four walls of our home.

Batul Nafisa Baxamusa

Last Updated: Jul 21, 2017

Macaroni is the machine-made, dry pasta that is shorter than spaghetti. Hollow macaroni does not contain eggs, thus can be enjoyed by vegans and even by those who are allergic to eggs! I love homemade macaroni and cheese, and savor it in evenings, while watching my favorite show on TV. In fact, I often end up preparing this dish, when I can't seem to figure out what to cook. Personally, I feel, my recipe is much better than the macaroni and cheese available in most restaurants. But, that's a personal call! I may be wrong, but I enjoy homemade better. Take a look at some interesting variations of the same dish, that I've collected over the years.

Macaroni and Cheese Recipes

These are a few recipes I have enjoyed cooking. After a lot of research, trial and error, I've narrowed it down to this recipe.

Easy Homemade Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

1 pound dry elbow macaroni

3 cups grated Cheddar cheese

1 packet mozzarella cheese (small)

1 cup milk

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1½ cups of bread crumbs

Salt and pepper according to taste

Method of Preparation

Cook macaroni as per the instructions on the packet, then drain well. Add the cheeses to the macaroni and then add eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Mix the ingredients and put it into the baking pan. Heat oven to 350ºF. Once hot, place the macaroni in the oven and cook for 35-40 minutes. During the cooking cycle, after 20 minutes, add the bread crumbs to the half-cooked macaroni and cheese. Continue the cycle for the remaining time, until your macaroni and cheese is golden brown. Enjoy it piping hot!

Restaurant Style Recipe

Ingredients

1½ cups macaroni

6 ounces shredded, processed cheese

½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons heavy cream

salt to taste

Methods of Preparation

Boil water in a large pot, along with a little salt. Once hot, add pasta to this water and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until the macaroni has cooked well. Drain the pasta. Mix Cheddar cheese, processed cheese, and cream into the pasta. Sprinkle with salt. Your restaurant style macaroni and cheese is ready to eat.

Macaroni and Cheese with Special Garnishing

Ingredients

1 small red onion, diced

1 packet small pasta shells

Salt and black pepper to taste

1 pinch garlic salt

1 tablespoon butter

¼ cup brown sugar

3 cans condensed cream of Cheddar cheese soup

1 cup shredded Havarti cheese

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Method of Preparation

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Add the diced onion into a large pot of boiling water. Add some salt, and cook the pasta for about 8 to 10 minutes, as per the instructions on the packet. Drain the pasta well. Transfer the onion and pasta to a casserole dish. Season it with salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Stir in the butter and brown sugar into the pasta mixture until the butter melts. Add the Cheddar cheese soup, Havarti, Parmesan, and part of the Cheddar cheese and stir well. Over the top of the dish, sprinkle the remaining Cheddar cheese. Bake the macaroni and cheese in a preheated oven for about 45 minutes. Change the oven setting to 'Broil' and cook for another 4 minutes, until the top is golden brown.

Microwave Special Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

8 ounces macaroni

2 tablespoons butter

2½ tablespoons chopped onion

16 ounces cubed processed cheese

¾ cup milk

Salt to taste

Ground black pepper to taste

Method of Preparation

Cook the elbow macaroni in a large pot of boiling, slightly salted water. Drain the macaroni well. Sauté the onions and butter or margarine on high for 3 to 4 minutes, in a 2 quart microwave-safe casserole dish. Add milk and cubed cheese to the pasta and stir. Cook for 11 to 12 minutes on high, stirring at intervals of 4, 8, and 11 minutes. The mixture will still be runny at this stage. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let the macaroni and cheese stand for 5-8 minutes before serving. The sauce will thicken upon standing. Your tasty microwave-cooked macaroni and cheese is ready to eat.

These were just a few guidelines regarding macaroni and cheese preparation. Variations are always welcome, so feel free to tweak the recipes as per your taste preferences. With cooking (unless it's baking), there are no hard and fast rules.